Drafting desk



June 27, 1933. k. v. LARKIN 0 DRAFTING DESK Filed April 10, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEYS.

June 27, 1933. F. v. LARKIN 1,915,500

DRAFTING D ESK Filed April 10 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 3 V INVENTOR 5204 7% J42 Wfmv k mummml H ATTORNEYS.

Patented June 27, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRED V. LARKIN, F BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA DRAFTIN G DESK Application filed April 10,

v supplies. Another object of the invention is 0 such a desk which can accommodate extra large drawing boards and in which the spaces for the large drawing boards and for the small drawing boards and for the supplies of each individual user may be locked by the use of a single lock and key.

Other objects and features of the invent on will more fully appear from the following claims taken in conjunction with the descnption and the accompanying drawings which,

however, must be construed as merely illustrating and in no way limitingv the invention to the embodiment shown and described.

The drawings illustrate in section and detail a selected form; of construction of the desk and embody the broad principles of the invention. v I

In the drawings: 7

Fig. 1 is an elevation of the desk seen from the front; g I

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the desk at the level of the top drawer;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the desk as seen from theright side; H

Fig. 4: is a Vertical section through the desk on line 44 of- Fig. 1 looking 1n the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 5 is a partial section online 55 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 6 is a partial section on line 6-6 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 7 is a partial section on l1ne 77 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows; and" i Fig. 8 is a partial section on line 88 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

The body of the desk includes the sides 1 and 2 and the back 8 which are joined by" the corner pieces. The top of the desk includes the top cross-pieces 5 and 6 which extend out over the sides of the desk and support the 1930. Serial No.- 443,030.

top sections 7 and 8. The top of the desk preferably includes the center section 9 which is flat and horizontal to provide a place on which the drafting instruments and ink and other drafting supplies may be placed when the desk is in use. The top sections 7 and 8 slope downwardly from the centerfsection 9 at a convenient angle to facilitate the use'of the desk and both of the sections 7 and 8 extend well over the sides of the body to provide knee space so that the draftsman may sit on'a stool and rest his feet on the foot-rest rail 10 which is supported from the uprights 4 by the brackets 11.

v The desk shown on the drawings is intended to accommodate four persons, two of whom may use" the desk at the same time. For this purpose the body of the desk is provided with a plurality of drawers, there being four large drawers 12,- 13, l t and 15. and an equal number of small drawers 16,17, 18 and 19. The large drawers preferably extend across the full width of the desk and the small drawers are preferably approximately one half of the width of the desk. The drawers are preferably arranged as is shown on Fig. 1,- with a full width drawer on both sides of a pair of half width drawers. This facilitates locking both a large drawer and a small drawer with asingle lock, as will presently be described. Both the large and the small drawers may be provided with, inside supports 20 so as to support a'suitabl-y dimensioned drawing board above the bot tom of the drawer so that the drawing board will not rest on the drawing paperwhich may lie in the bottom of the drawer. The large and small drawers will thus. accommodate large size and medium size drawing boards and paper, and permit the paper to lie flat in the drawers while preventing it from'becoming soiled by having the drawing board lie on it.

The large drawers and the small drawers are adapted to be locked in pairs of one large drawer and one small drawer, by a single look. For this purpose appropriate front cross-pieces 21 of the desk are provided with projecting metallic parts 22 and each of the large and small drawers which are paired together are provided with corresponding locking pieces 23 and 24. Each of the locking pieces 22, 23, and 24 is provided with a hole which registers with the holes in the other pieces when the drawers are in fully housed position within the body of the desk.

Thus a single lock may be passed throiigh the holes in the parts 22, 23, and 24 and the corresponding large and small drawers Wlll be securely locked within the body of the desk I separated by vertical partitions which'extend from the front to the back of the desk at the points 27. Handles 28 on each of the drawers enable the drawers to be slid into and out of the desk. l j

' In some instances a draftsman may have occasion to use an extra large drawing board which cannot be accommodatedin any of the drawers. To accommodate the extra large drawing boards, an auxiliary enclosure 29 is provided, usually on one side, and preferably at the rear side of the desk. In the desk shown herein the enclosure 29 is provided with two doors 30"and 31, one. door being at .each'end of the enclosure and having hinges 32 so placed that the doors may be swung outwardly against the adjacent part of the end of the enclosure. -The enclosure which is shown is intended to accommodate the extra large drawing boards when the boards are placed on their ends so. as to stand vertically rather than lie horizontally, as

they do in the drawers.

Meansfareprovided for locking the doors 30 and 31 in conjunction with'c ertainof the drawers so that the same look which is used 45 to lock the drawers also locks one of the doors. Aslightly different latch mechanism is used to fasten or release the different doors, this being desirable in the particular desk illustrated due to the fact that the door 30 is' on the far side of the enclosure and the" door 31 is on the near side of the enclosure and the different latch mech-' anisms are controlled by different draw ers, but in principle the latch mecha; .nisms are the same. The door 31fiispreferfrom thewall ofthe enclosure so that the latch may move easily. The pivotal point of the latch is preferably somewhat nearer to the gages the lifter 42 is positioned within a recess 43 in the rear 3 of the body of the desk. This enables the lifter to contact with the end 41 of "the latch and et not project any appreciable distance wit in the enclosure 29, and in this way the latch 35 does not interfere with a large drawing board which may be placed within the enclosure. The lifter 42 is on the end of a plunger 44 which operates in any suitable casing 45. The casing for the latch 45 is shown in Fig. 6 as being supported from the bottom ofone of the rear cross-pieces 26 by means ofthe part 46 which 'is screwed to the underside of the'rear cross-piece 26. A spring 47 within the casing bearsatone end against the end of the casing and at the other end against the plate 48 onthe plunger so as to normally force the plunger to the right of Fig. 6 so that the lifter 42 will be out of engagement with the end 41 of the latch 45 The rear end49 of thedrawer is cut away at 50 to permit the drawer to move into'its fully housed position and topass the casing 45. A contact piece 51 is fastened to the side 52 of the drawer in'such a position that when the drawer is in fully. housed position the contact piece engages the end of the plunger 44 to push it into such a position that the lifter 42 lifts the end 41 of the latch to cause the tongue 37 to enter theeye of the eye-piece 33.-

Thus,whenthe drawer is pulled out and the contact piece 51 disengages the end of the plunger 44, the spring 47 forces the plunger raises thetongue 37 out of engagementwith the eye-piece 33, and the'part' 31 can be opened. lVhen the drawer is pushedinto its fully housed position within the body of the desk the contact piece51' engages the" end'of the plunger. 44 which pushes the plunger and the lifter 42 toward the left of Fig. 6. This action causes the beveled face 53 of the lifter 42 to engage the end41 of the latch35 which forces upwardly the end 41 of the latch' to cause the tongue 37 to movedownwardly'to,

enter the eye of the eye-piece 33 on the door 31.. By this means the door is locked when" the drawer is fully housed, within the body of the desk and when the drawer is locked by a lock whichpasses throughthe parts 22, 23

and 24, both the large and small drawers and theldoor are locked. Thelatch 35 is preferably connected to and operable from the small drawer 17 so that the latch mechanism is as hi h above the bottom of the enclosure 29 as is possible. 7

A substantially similar locking mechanism is used to lock the door 30. In this case the latch 54 is provided with an end 55 which extends across the enclosure 29 and engages a lifter 56 which has a beveled face 57 to engage the turned over and flat end 58 of the latch '54. The casing 59 projects into the enclosure 29 but is so high that even a large drawing board may pass under it as the latch-is operated from the uppermost large drawer 12. The latch 54 is pivoted at 60 on the rear wall 61 of the enclosure 29 and a washer 62 which is similar to the washer 38, is used to space the latch 54 from the wall 61. The plunger 63 engages the rear face 64 of the drawer 12. Thus, when the drawer 12 is vwithdrawn from its fully housed position within the body of the desk the spring 65 forces the plunger 63 to the left of Fig. 5 to disengage the lifter 56 from the end 58 of the latch. Due to the unbalancing of the latch 54, the end 58 will fall downwardly, thereby raising the tongue 66 of the latch 54; out of the eye in the projecting portion 67 of the eye-piece 68 which is fastened on the door 30, to unfasten the door.

Although a. particular and preferred form of the invention has been described, it is. recognized that various modifications may be made and it is desired that the invention be construced as broadly as the claims, taken in conjunction with the prior art, may allow.

I claim:

1. A drafting desk including a body, a top, a plurality of drawers inthe body, an auxiliary enclosure on a side of the desk, a door on each end of said enclosure, and means for locking a pair of the drawers and one of the doors with a single lock and for locking another pair of drawers and the other door with another single lock.

2. A drafting desk including a body, a top, a plurality of drawers in the body, an enclosure for large drawing boards on a side of the desk, a door for said enclosure, an unbalanced pivoted lever adjacent said door and having a door fastening position and a door releasing position and having a tendency to remain in the door releasing position, said lever being provided with a tongue at one end, an eye member on said door adapted to cooperate with said tongue when the door is held in closed position, and means operated by a drawer to actuate the other end of said lever to position said tongue in said eye mem ber and hold the door in locked position, said means including a spring pressed guided rod.

3. A drafting desk including a body, a top, a plurality of drawers in the body, an enclosure for large drawing boards on a side of of the desk, a door for said enclosure, an unbalanced pivoted lever adjacent said door and having a door fastening position and a door releasing position and having a tendency to remain in the door releasing position, said lever being provided with a tongue at one end, an eye member on said door adapted to cooperate with said tongue when the door is heldin closed position, and means operated by a drawer to actuate the other end of said lever to position said tongue in'said eye member and hold the door in locked position, said means including a beveled lifter for moving the other end of said lever so that said tongue and eye member interengage to hold the door in locked position.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing, I have hereunto set my hand this third day of April, 1930.

FRED v. LARKIN. 

